Well-drill rotary table



3 Sheets-Sheet l w, 1 I H Mw/ g :1, ll TH H1. I1 a ,l I I i III I II I ll H|.h.ll hll |nl I. I 1| N g- 5, 1930. w. SHELDON WELL DRILL ROTARY TABLE Filed Feb. 5, 1925 Aug. 5, 1930. W.'SHELDON WELL DRILL ROTARY TABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 3, 1925 5 INVENTOR Aug. 5, 1930. W.,SHELDON WELL DRILL ROTARY TABLE Filed Feb. 3. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I-NVENTOR IIIIIIIIIII- ll &

fecting a regulatable Patented Aug. 5, 1 930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE W'ALIDO summon, or sou'rn NoBwALx, CONNECTICUT WELL-DRILL Romany TABLE Application filed February 3, 1925. Serial No. 6,535.

This invention relates particularly to deep oil well drilling by the methods disclosed in my co-pending patent applications and involving the use of power mechanism for efpositive feed and control of the drill.

Under certain conditions it has been found desirable to change from the positive prestion, it should be understood that these drawings are primarily for illustrative purposes and that the lnventlon is not necessarily confined to this particular form of structure.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an application of the invention to one of the hydraulic pressure feed drills invented by me and in use for driving a special fluted grief stem.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on substantially the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the interlocking sliding driving engagement between the collet clutch and grief stem.

Figure Sis a plan View illustrating particularly the two-part hold-down bar for securing the collet in its seat.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail of the holddown bar on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View showing application of the collet to the driving of smooth drill stem.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view ofthese parts on substantially the plane of line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional detail illustrating the jointed structureof the grief stem.

Figures 8 and 9 are sectional views of a modification of the driving engagement between the chuck and grief stem, Figure 8 being a cross sectional view of the grief stem as on the line 8-8 of Figure 9 and showing a portion of the cooperating collet.

Figure 10 is a view of the complete a paratus on a reduced scale'showing the hy raulie feed 0 linder. 1

In igure 1 only enough of ,the drill is shown to illustrate application of the present invention thereto. Thus only a portion of the rotary table is shown at 10, the same carrying a key or keys -11 engaging in a way or ways 12 in the chuck sleeve 13. This chuck sleeve 'is raised and lowered in the table by a hydraulic piston, a portion of which is indicated at '14. This piston carries upper and lower bearings for the chuck sleeve, the upper one vof which is indicated at 15. Fixed to the chuck sleeve is an adapter socket 16 which carries a bushing 17 for the chuck collet 18.

This clutch collet is also shown as generally similar in construction to that disclosed in my companion application, Serial #73 6,206,-that is, with a compressible conical lower portion 19 fitting the taper of the socket bushing 17 and having a head portion with outstanding lugs 20, engaged in key sockets 21 in the adapter and springs 22 being engaged beneath such lugs to lift the collet when thepressure of the clamp bar is released. Similarly, the collet is shown as made in two sections, 18 and 18", Figure 2, so that the collet may be removed and replaced in sections at opposite sides of the drill rod or grief stem. These sections of the collet mayobe split longitudinally as indicated at 45 as in the application referred to, to add further to the yielding or spring gripping characteristics of the co et.

To enable the collet to handle round drill pipe or fluted grief stem, the inside of the collet is for the most part made up of a substantially cylindrical gripping surface 23 to grip cylindrical pipe while driving engagement with the grief stem is effected by'lon- 1 Y fluted portion of the grief stem 26.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the meshing shoulders or ribs and grooves of the stem and collet are sharply angled but the same results may be attained with less expensive machining by simply forming the grief stem with two fiattened sides, as shown at 27, in Figures 8 and tions 29 of the collet. -This latter structure leaves the collet with cylindrical portions at 80 to grip the round drill pipe.

To enable the use 'of an extended line of 'ef stem, the same may be made in' a plurality of jointed sections suitably connected end to end-relation as by screw joints-indicated at 31. At the adjoining ends these sections are shown as left plain or cylindricalat 32, so that if the drive shoulders on connectedsections do not come into register when the sections are screwed together, the clutch sleeve may be raised or lowered to bring the collet-over the round portion, then rotated by turning the table to register the shoulders in the collet with the shoulders of the added grief stem section and the chuck lowered or raised to couple the clutch in sliding en agement with the new grief stem section; f it should be necessary for any reason to grip this intermediate smooth portion of the grief stem, the same can be accomplished setting the collet down in its socket until the cylindrical portions of the sameefiect a gripping engagement with the rounded ortion of the grief stem.

The co let is shown held to its seat in the adapter by a clamp made in two bar sections 33, 34 having transversely slotted ends 35, 36, to as from opposite sides about the bolts 37, w ich bolts are fixed in the head of the drill driving sleeve 13, said bar sections being transversely recessed in their intermediate portions at 38 to clear the drill pipe or ief stem. The first section 33 is shown as aving an extended edge portion 39 overlapping a correspondingly extended edge portion 40 on the opposite section 34, and the slotted ends of the two sections are similarly overlapped, except that as shown in Figure 4, the meetin faces of these parts are reversely angle as indicated by the plane 41 so that in turning down the clamp nuts 42,

the effect of the meeting inclines will be to crowd the sections together and automatically lock them in holding relation. It will be obvious that the tightening of these nuts will set the collet in gripping engagement with a smooth drill pipe and that upon turning back these nuts, the collet springs will lift the collet sections to release the drill pipe. In driving the grief stem the collet is adjusted so that the grief stem will slide freely therethrough, thus enabling'operation of the drill as a straight rotary.

The change from rotary to pressure feed operation may be made at any time to meet different drilling requirements, or conditions, without changing the collet other than simply adjusting it to grip the smooth drill pipe which is substituted for the grief stem so that the force of the hydraulic cylinder will 1s a ten ency for the collet to slip over the smooth drill stem unless it be set very tight in its contracting socket. A special feature of this invention is the overcoming of this slippage tendency b providing on the inner gripping surfaces 0 the collet, a screw thread suc as indicated at 44 having a right handed pitch so that just as soon as the collet starts to slip, it will cut or form a companion screw thread in the pi e and thus screw itself down over the pipe, t ereby automatically seating itself deeper in the contracting socket and so, further contracting upon the pipe and increasing the grip sufficiently to overcome the slippage.

This automatic self-threading and grip increasin when 511 page starts. The collet or the screw threade portion of the same is suificientl hardened to operate in the manner describe 0 action may take place at any time The screw thread may be substantially continuous about the inside of. the collet, except 1 for the interruptions provided at the grooves which receive the shoulders of the grief stem and which interruptions actually increase the effectiveness of the screw thread cutting or a as shown to increase the crowding efiect.

In .the. operation of the invention for straight rotary, drilling, when the grief stem slides freely through the chuck, special means may be provided to prevent the chuck collet being closed down in gripping engagement with the stem. Means for this purpose are illustrated in Figure 1 in the form of a block 46 slipped into position beneath the head of the collet, thusdimiting the downward movement of the collet in its socket and hence the extent to which it can beclosed.

In the present disclosure, the screw threads of the collet are shown as having a fiat upper side providing a certain amount of relief in the screw cutting action, but it will be understood that the shape may vary. Instead of being tapered toward the upper end, the bore of the collet may be ofthe same diameter throughout. Other variations and changes may be made in the structure without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as the invention is claime broadly.

sage therethrough grooved to receive the ribs What is claimed-is: 1. As an article of manufacture, a drill stem drive collet having a cylindrical pasor corners of a grief stem, said collet being madeof'sp'ring material and slotted to divide the same into resilient sections.

2-. In well drilling apparatus, a drive I socket, a drill rod clamp seated in said socket having cylindrical portions for driving engagement with drill rod and grooved for the passage of the ribs or corners of a grief stem and means for. securing said clamp in the socket adjustably engaged either with drill rod orwith a grief stem, includinga bar engaged over the clamp and fastenings for exerting variable pressure on the bar for adjustably seating the clamp in the socket.

- 4'.- In well drilling apparatus, a drive socket, a drill rod clamp seated insaid socket having cylindrical portions for driving engagement with drill rod and grooved for the passage of the ribs or corners of a grief stem and means for securing said clamp in the socket adjustably engaged either with drill rod or with a grief stem, including a bar engaged over theclamp and fastenings for exerting variable pressure on the bar for adjustably seating the clamp in the socket, said bar being of two-part construction consisting of complemental sections engageable laterally over the clamp from opposite sides of the drill rod or grief stem.

5. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table, a sleeve slidingly keyed to said table, a drive collet carried by said sleeve having a cylindrical portion for clamping engagement with smooth drill rod and grooved to receive the ribs or'corne'rs of a grief stem and means for variably seating said collet 1nengagement with drill rod or with a grief stem.

6. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table, a sleeve slidingly keyed to said table,

a drive collet carried by said sleeve having a cylindrical portion for clamping engagement with smooth drill rod and grooved to receive the ribs or corners of a grief stem, means for variably seating said collet in engagement with drill rod or with a grief stem and power mechanism for applying variable. lifting or lowering force to the sleeve without interfering with rotation of the same by the rotary table.

7. In well drilling apparatus, a supporting socket, a drill rod chuck seated in said socket, hold-down bolts at opposite sides of the socket and a clamp bar for the chuck consisting of complemental bar sections separately engageable over the chuck from opposite sides and having open slots in the ends of the same engageable laterally about the hold-down bolts.

8. In well drilling apparatus, a supporting socket, a drill rod chuck-seated in said socket, hold-down bolts at opposite sides of the socket and a clamp bar for the chuck consisting of complemental bar sections separately engageable. over the chuck from opposite sides and having open slots in the ends of the same engagea'ble laterally about the hold-down bolts, the slotted end portions of the bar sections being oppositely inclined to relatively interlock when engaged about the hol(ldown bolts. 7'

9. In well drillingapparatus, a chuck for gripping engagement with a drill stem, said chuck being shouldered for interlocking engagement with a shouldered grief stem and internally screw threaded toform a companion interlocking screw thread in the drill stem.

10. In well drilling apparatus, a chuck for gripping engagement with a drill stem, said chuck being shouldered for interlocking engagement with a shouldered grief stem and internally screw threaded to form a companion interlocking screw thread in the drill stem and a socket for the chuck adapted to force the same into firmer grippingengagement with the drill stem as said chuck screws itself down over the drill stem.

-11. In well drilling apparatus, a chuck having cylindrical portions for gripping. engagement with a drill stem and recessed portions to interlock with a shouldered grief stem, the intermediate cylindrical portions which engage the drill stem being formed with a screw thread and hardened to cut a companion thread in the drill stem when relatively rotated.

12. In well drilling apparatus, a chuck having cylindrical portions for gripping engagement with a drill stem and recessed portions to interlock with a shouldered grief stem, the intermediate cylindrical portions which engage the drill stem being formed with a screw thread and hardened to cut a companion thread in the drill stem when relativelyrotated, a socket for the chuck and clamp means adjustable to force the chuck seated in said socket.

13. In combination with a rotary table,

a chuck rotated thereby having cylindrical chuck keyed in said socket, means for forcing said chuck to a seat in the socket, a drill stem passing throughsaid chuck and comple mental means on the chuck and drill stem for automatically forcing the chuck to its seat in thesocket independently of the first means. V

15. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table, a socket keyed thereto, a drill stem chuck keyed in said socket, means for forcing said chuck to a seat in the socket, a drill stem passing through said chuck and complemental means on the chuck and drill stem for automatically forcing the chuck to its seat in theobject is to be rotated, seating saidmem ber in a tapered socket in clamping engagement with the surface of the obiect and then rotating said socket in the object-turning direction so that slippage between the grip member and object will have the effect of causing the grip mcmber to thread itself over the object into deeper-seated relation in the contracting socket.

17. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table adapted for passage of the drill pipe therethrough, a downwardly tapered socket carried by said table, a sectional drill pipe grip seated in said socket, a clamp bar consisting of complemental bar sections separately engagcable about opposite sides of the drill pipe passing through-the table and adapted to force the sections of the grip down into the tapered socket, screw bolts for exerting downward pressure on said bar sections and said barsections having recessed ends to accommodate the shanks of said bolts.

18. In apparatus for rotarily driving rounded objects, a contracting socket, an object gripping chuck in said socket, clamp means for securing the chuck in the socket and an internal screw way on the chuck for causing the latter upon slippage over the object to cut its own screw threads. in the object and thereby advance itself the further into the contracting socket.

19. In means for rotarily driving rounded objects, a con-tractable chuck. means for con tracting the chuck upon an obiect to be driven and screw thread forming means carried by the chuck for automatically cutting a chuck closing screw thread in the object upon-relative slippage of the chuck and object.

20; In means for rotarily driving rounded objects, a contracting chuck having an inter: rupted screwthreaded internal gripping surface and a contracting socket for the chuck adapted to force the chuck into firmer gripping engagement with the object upon advancing of the chuck therein by slippage and cutting by the chuck of its own screw threads in the object.

21, As an article of manufacture, a drive collet having an externally conical contractable portion and a drive head at one end, the contractable portion of said collet having a substantially cylindrical interior with screw threads formed in the face of the same and grief stem receiving grooves cut 1ongi-. tudinally through said screw threaded face.

22. As an articleof manufacture, a drive collet having an externally conical contractable portion and a drive head at one end, the contractable portion of said collet having a substantially. uninterrupted cylindrical interior with screw threads formed in the face of thesame.

28. As an articleof manufacture, a downwardly tapered conical drive collet, the bore of said collet tapering toward the upper, larger end of the collet and having a screw thread formed in the upwardly tapering face of the same.

24. In drilling apparatus,- a rotary table, a chuck sleeve havinga sliding driven engagement therewith, hydraulic feed mechanism connected with said chuck sleeve for raising and lowering'the same, a stem engaging chuck carried by the sleeve and means for automatically closing said chuck upon the stem on relative rotative movement between chuck and stem.

25. As an article of manufacture a drive collet having an externally conical contractable portion provided with an interrupted screw thread on the inner wall of the same,

.the bore of the collet in which the screw threads are formed being tapered in diameter away from the smaller end of the conical portio'n.

' 26. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table, a collet for gripping. engagement with a drill pipe,-a socket carried by the rotary table for holding-said collet in gripping engagement with the drill pipe, clamp means overstanding the end of said collet and adjustable to force the collet to avariable extent into said socket and stop means for limitingthe extent to which the collet may 'be forced into the socket.

27. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table, a collet for gripping engagement with a drill pipe, a socket carried by the rotary table for holding said collet in gripping engagement with the drill pipe, clamp means overstanding the end of said collet and adjustable to force the collet to a variable extent into said'socketand stop means for limiting the extent to which the collet may be forced into the socket, said stop means being readily removable to enable the clamp means to force the collet into the "socket to the full extent. g

28. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table, a collet for gripping engagement with a drill pi e, a socket carried hv the rotary table for liolding said collet in gripping engagement with the drill pipe, clamp means overstanding the end of said collet and adjustable to force the collet to a variable extent into said socket, said socket being tapered to contract the collet upon the drill pipe and said collet having internal screw threads to cause said collet to screw itself sleeve, a sectional drill pipe grip seated in said socket, a clamp overstanding said sectional grlp and securing means for said overstanding clamp operative on relative vertical adjustment of the clamp and drive slee e to cause the grip to be forced by the clamp down in the tapered socket into holding engagement with drill pi pe extending through the drive sleeve.

30. A sectional longitudinally slumldered grief stem united by screw-threaded joints and having plain portions adjoining the screw joints at the ends of the sections, said plain portions of tWo adjoining sections being of less diameter than the shouldered portions throughout the length across the joint between the shouldered portions of adjacent sections, a chuck having shoulders complementary to the shoulders on the sectional grief stem to thereby interlock therewith, the said non-shouldered portions across the joints in addition to being of continuously less diameter than the shouldered portions of the stem being of greater length than the length of the chuck, so that when said plain ortions at the joints of the grief stem are rought into register with the chuck, the grief stem and chuck may be relatively rotated free of the interlocking engagement above referred to, to bring the shoulders on the section at either side of the joint into register and interlocking engagement with the shoulders on the chuck.

31. A sectional longitudinally shouldered grief stem united by scrc\\'-tlu'c:uled joints and having plain portions adjoining the screw joints at the ends of the sections, said plain portions of two adjoining sections bemg of less diameter than the shouldered porsaid non-shouldered portions across the joints in addition to being of continuously less-diameter than the shouldered portions of the stem being of greater length than the length of the chuck, so that when said plain ortions at the joints of the rief stem are rought into register with the chuck, the grief stem and chuck may be relatively rotated free of the interlocking en agement above referred to, to bring the s oulders on the section at either side of the joint into register and interlocking engagement with the shoulders on the chuck, a drive sleeve in which said chuck is mounted, a rotary table in which said drive sleeve is slidingly keyed, and power means for raising and lowering the drive sleeve in the table to thereby bring the chuck into position for interlocking engagement with different sectionsof the grief stem.

32. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table, a drill pipe drive sleeve having a vertical sliding driven engagement in said rotary table, a tapered socket in the upper end of said drill pipe driving sleeve, drill pipe gripping segments seated in.said socket, a clamp overstanding said drill pipe gripping segments and comprising complemental bar sections laterally engageable about the drill pipe passing down through the sleeve, holddown bolts at opposite sides of the socket onthe drive sleeve operating on the complemental bar sections for torcingthe pipe gripping segments down in the socket into adjustable engagement with the drill pipe and means for forcing the drill pipe gripping segments to turn with the complemental clamp bars.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of January, 1925.

' WALDO SHELDON. 

